Virtualization is a process used to define a virtual infrastructure or a virtual network system within a physical device or a physical machine. Examples of physical devices include a computer or a server. Virtualization enables the use of a single physical resource to create multiple virtual resources or multiple virtual machines within the single physical resource. The multiple virtual resources typically share the physical resources available to the physical resource.
Prior art virtualization software packages typically provide the ability to define virtual network systems with a plurality of virtual network devices. However, such prior art virtualization software often provide limited capabilities with respect to defining interconnections between the virtual network devices within the virtual network system. Furthermore, prior art visualization software packages typically do not provide the option of integrating virtual network appliances with the ability to manage network traffic within the virtual network system.